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The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:
Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.
Audiologist
State Licensure
- Holds a CCC and has passed the qualifying examination for the CCC within three years preceding the date of licensure or has held employment in the area in which he/she seeks licensure for one of the past three consecutive years or two of the past five consecutive years
or
- Holds a master's or doctoral degree from an institution accredited by ASHA and has passed a qualifying examination approved by the board; the applicant shall have passed the examination within three years preceding the date of applying for licensure in Virginia or have been actively engaged in the respective profession during the 24 months immediately preceding the date of application.
Continuing Education Requirement
30 contact hours of continuing learning activities per biennial renewal
Speech-Language Pathologist
Special Education Speech-Language Disorders
Endorsement requirements:
- An earned master's degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited institution
or
- A current license in speech pathology issued by the Virginia Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech Pathology
Continuing Education Requirement
180 professional development points every five years based on an individual professional development plan.
Emergency Certification
None. For 2004-2005, speech-language disorders have been identified as a critical shortage area. Special education areas, including speech and language disorders, are listed as #2 on the list of top ten critical shortage teaching areas in Virginia. However, the Special Education Conditional License, whereby an individual may teach in an area of special education without meeting all requirements, may not be granted to individuals employed as speech-language pathologists.
Support Personnel
The special education staffing requirements do not include a paraprofessional for speech-language caseloads as they do for classroom special education teachers but this does not prohibit the use of paraprofessionals. There is no credentialing of speech-language pathology assistants, resulting in local determination of the nature, degree, and quantity of training.
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